Just a small collection of oil company maps I’ve found around the web; I wasn’t aware of this fascinating sub-genre of design. This is the sort of throw-away stuff that for some reason is the coolest thing to find in the garage drawer it’s been sitting in for 30 years. I think that Hawaii one is actually just a Casino Versus Japan 12″ cover. That German one is ridiculous; leave it to them to design a map that they give out free at the gas station that betters the collective output of United State graphic designers for the entire calendar year in which it was produced. Way to go guys.

Adrian says:

Jan says:

Brent says:

While I think the German map is nice, I’d hesitate to throw US designers collective output for an entire year under the bus for it. Check out a few Graphis design annuals from the 60’s and I think you’ll find quite a few great pieces from US designers that would rival this map.

4

arne says:

… the german map shows also a special state of mind of the publisher: the eastern part of germany was in those days a several state (GDR). and the graphic also includes west-poland without a several borderline (stettin is since the WWII the polish szczecin) … a typical cold war-product

hy⋅per⋅bo⋅le [hahy-pur-buh-lee]–noun Rhetoric.
1. obvious and intentional exaggeration.
2. an extravagant statement or figure of speech not intended to be taken literally, as “to wait an eternity.”

But yeah, I get your point, and I agree with you, I just figured I’d have a little fun because I didn’t think anyone would take me seriously when I compared a gas station map to the US graphic design industry.